“Would we like a complement back?” General Manager Tom Telesco said. “There’s no doubt about it.”

Telesco and coach Mike McCoy expressed faith Thursday in their top running back, and they were equally in unison when adding he can’t do it alone. They want to find Mathews more help in his fourth year.

The effort begins this offseason.

Running backs Jackie Battle and Ronnie Brown are set to be unrestricted free agents next month. Curtis Brinkley will become a restricted free agent while Edwin Baker and fullback Le’Ron McClain remain under contract.

“He’s had some bad luck the past couple years with his injuries,” McCoy said of Mathews. “But he’s a very talented back.

“In talking to (running backs coach) Ollie Wilson, I spent a lot of time the past couple weeks (discussing) what we want to do with him. ... There’s a number of touches, and we’ve got to do a better job up front as an entire football team helping him out, getting him involved in the passing game because he’s a talented player who can do a lot of different things.”

Telesco called himself a “big believer” in a two-back system.

There isn’t a specific style of running back he is searching for in Mathews’ complement, he said.

The expectation is they’ll find someone who can at least partially spell Mathews on third down, where he’s rarely been the Chargers’ most utilized option.

Last year, he had only five touches and one catch on third down. He has totaled six third-down receptions in his career.

Brown took the vast majority of third-down reps in 2012.

“(Mathews) is really talented, a really good back,” Telesco said.

“He’s got size, and he runs well, but he’s had some injuries, too. I think he can be a bell-cow back, but he needs to prove that on the field by staying healthy. I think he’s going to have a chance to do that.”

Local connection

A contingent of San Diego-area natives at the NFL Combine includes a pair of offensive linemen.

Brian Schwenke, a center-guard and Oceanside High alumnus, and David Quessenberry, a tackle from La Costa Canyon High, were part of a day devoted to offensive linemen and tight ends.

The position groups weighed in, had their heights and arm length charted and were medically evaluated.

Schwenke, who is 6-foot-3 and 314 pounds, started 48 games at California, mostly at guard. He moved to center as a senior and said he’s comfortable playing at both spots in the NFL.

He has done his pre-draft training in Los Angeles.

“I get down (to San Diego) on the weekends, usually to go see my family,” Schwenke said. “They usually get on me if I don’t go down there, just stop by and say, ‘Hi.’ I have Sundays off during training, so I usually pop in.”

Quessenberry is 6-foot-5, 302 pounds with 34 3/8-inch arms.

He had a good showing at the Senior Bowl last month, playing while recovered from a high ankle sprain suffered his senior year.

“I grew up in Carlsbad,” Quessenberry said. “I actually did surf. People find it hard to believe, but I still do today.

“I grew up a Chargers fan. My parents have been season-ticket holders for 25 years. At San Jose State, I’d still watch the games, but I’m just focused on my career and my future now.”